Home

Blog

Recently Visited

  • Getting bills...

News, Commentary, and What to Watch on WashingtonWatch.com Blog Feed

We’re Not Great if We’re Not Up in Space!

H. Con. Res. 124 would express the sense of the Congress that President Obama’s delays in implementing a clear mission for the American space program represent a clear threat to American exceptionalism.

(0 comments | Categories: Miscellaneous » )

WashingtonWatch.com Digest – May 14, 2012

This is the WashingtonWatch.com email newsletter for the week of May 14, 2012. Subscribe (free!) here.

On the Blog: The Violence Against Women Act

The Senate has already passed a bill, and the House will debate a bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act this week. The politics are in favor of the bill becoming law.

Read about it in a post entitled: “Everyone’s Against Violence Against Women.”

(forward to a friend)

Featured Items

This week, the House will debate H.R. 4970, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012.

The bill spends money on Department of Justice and Health and Human Services programs meant to reduce violence against women and aid in the prosecution of violence against women.

Passage of H.R. 4970 would cost the average U.S. family about $16.50.

The Senate will debate H.R. 2072, the Securing American Jobs Through Exports Act of 2011.

The bill would extend through 2015 the authority of the Export-Import Bank of the United States to provide loans and insurance to finance exports of U.S. products and services.

Passage of H.R. 2072 would cost the average U.S. family about $14.50.

H.R. 4970
The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012
Costs $16.60 per family

H.R. 2072
The Securing American Jobs Through Exports Act of 2011
Costs $14.59 per family

What People Think

Click here to vote on The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012. Click here to vote on The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012.

The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012
50% For, 50% Against

Vote on this Bill

Click here to vote on The Securing American Jobs Through Exports Act of 2011. Click here to vote on The Securing American Jobs Through Exports Act of 2011.

The Securing American Jobs Through Exports Act of 2011
30% For, 70% Against

Vote on this Bill


Displayed below are new, updated, and passed items with their cost or savings per family.

New Items

H.R. 2764
The WMD Intelligence and Information Sharing Act of 2011
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 4310
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013
Saves $1.34 per family

H.R. 4970
The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012
Costs $16.60 per family

S. 2516
An original bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise and extend the user-fee programs for prescription drugs and medical devices, to establish user-fee programs for generic drugs and biosimilars, and for other purposes
Costs $115.78 per family

H.R. 365
The National Blue Alert Act of 2011
Costs $0.31 per family

H.R. 1237
To provide for a land exchange with the Trinity Public Utilities District of Trinity County, California, involving the transfer of land to the Bureau of Land Management and the Six Rivers National Forest in exchange for National Forest System land in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, and for other purposes
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 1763
The SAVE Native Women Act
Costs $1.71 per family

H.R. 3670
To require the Transportation Security Administration to comply with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 4201
The Servicemember Family Protection Act
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 4607
The Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2012
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 4206
The Contracting Oversight for Small Business Jobs Act of 2012
Costs $0.02 per family

H.R. 4114
The Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2012
Costs $219.91 per family

H.R. 2008
The Keeping Politics Out of Federal Contracting Act of 2011
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 2621
The Chimney Rock National Monument Establishment Act
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 3987
The Small Business Protection Act of 2012
Costs $0.11 per family

H.R. 4966
The Sequester Replacement Act of 2012
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 2224
A bill to require the President to report to Congress on issues related to Syria
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 2375
The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013
Costs $1,297.88 per family

S. 2465
The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013
Costs $394.80 per family

S. 2343
The Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act of 2012
Costs $82.12 per family

S. 2322
The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013
Costs $1,109.72 per family

S. 2323
An original bill making appropriations for Departments of Commerce and Justice, and Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes
Costs $612.25 per family


Updated Items

S. 363
A bill to authorize the Secretary of Commerce to convey property of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to the City of Pascagoula, Mississippi, and for other purposes
Costs $0.00 per family


Passed Items

none

(0 comments | Categories: The Week Ahead, Uncategorized » )

Everyone’s Against Violence Against Women

So everyone’s in favor of the Violence Against Women Act, right?

A bill to reauthorize the law goes to the House floor this week.

The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 was signed by President Bill Clinton. The Act provided $1.6 billion toward investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution on people convicted of violence against women, and allowed civil suits in cases prosecutors chose to leave unprosecuted. The Act also established the Office on Violence Against Women within the Department of Justice.

The reauthorization bill would authorize spending of about $660 million annually over fiscal 2013-2017 for programs in the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services. Most of that is for Justice Department grants to state, local, and tribal governments and nonprofit organizations for programs to reduce violence against women and to provide legal assistance for victims, outreach services for victims of rural domestic violence, and training for investigators and prosecutors of sexual assault crimes. HHS grants would go for rape prevention and education programs, programs to educate health professionals who address domestic violence and other crimes, and “collaborative grants” to assist homeless victims.

In addition, H.R. 4970 would establish new federal crimes and broaden the coverage of existing crimes relating to violence against women. Finally, the bill would reduce the number of immigrants who can get legal permanent resident status based on their U visas, which are issued to people who were victims of specified crimes and who are assisting or are expected to assist law enforcement officials in the investigation and prosecution of those crimes.

The quick summary? The bill spends about $16 per U.S. family.

Of course, our politicians are fighting over the bill. Republicans are moving a different bill than the one the Senate passed in April. The Democrats say thats part of a Republican “war on women.”

Voting against the Violence Against Women Act seems like about the meanest thing a person could do, just given the name. So watch for this bill to pass.

(4 comments | Categories: Crime » )

WashingtonWatch.com Digest – May 7, 2012

This is the WashingtonWatch.com email newsletter for the week of May 7, 2012. Subscribe (free!) here.

On the Blog: FY 2013 Spending Underway

The House and Senate have begun work on the annual spending bills for fiscal year 2013. The Senate has twice as many bills in process, but it has provided us half the information about them so far.

Read about it in a post entitled: “And They’re Off! FY 2013 Spending.”

Featured Items

This week, the House will debate H.R. 5326, the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013. The bill spends money on the operation of the Departments of Commerce and Justice, and on science-related programs.

Passage of H.R. 5326 would spend about $600 per U.S. family.

The Senate will debate S. 2343, the Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act of 2012. The bill would keep the interest rate on federally subsidized student loans low, at 3.4 percent, for another year.

Passage of S. 2343 would cost about $82 per U.S. family.

H.R. 5326
Making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes
Costs $608.09 per family

S. 2343
The Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act of 2012
Costs $82.13 per family

What People Think

Click here to vote on H.R. 5326. Click here to vote on H.R. 5326.

H.R. 5326
50% For, 50% Against

Vote on this Bill

Click here to vote on The Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act of 2012. Click here to vote on The Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act of 2012.

The Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act of 2012
33% For, 67% Against

Vote on this Bill


Displayed below are new, updated, and passed items with their cost or savings per family.

New Items

H.R. 2489
The American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act of 2011
Costs $0.31 per family

H.R. 3409
The Coal Miner Employment and Domestic Energy Infrastructure Protection Act
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 1998
The Department of Homeland Security Improved Financial Accountability Act of 2011
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 2061
The Former Charleston Naval Base Land Exchange Act of 2012
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 3874
The Black Hills Cemetery Act
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 5325
Making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes
Costs $390.74 per family

H.R. 5326
Making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes
Costs $608.09 per family

H.R. 3783
The Countering Iran in the Western Hemisphere Act of 2012
Costs $0.15 per family

H.R. 538
The Federal Customer Service Enhancement Act
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 925
The Mt. Andrea Lawrence Designation Act of 2011
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 1818
The Mt. Andrea Lawrence Designation Act of 2011
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 3283
The Swap Jurisdiction Certainty Act
Costs $0.01 per family

H.R. 3902
The District of Columbia Special Election Reform Act
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 4235
To amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Commodity Exchange Act to repeal the indemnification requirements for regulatory authorities to obtain access to swap data required to be provided by swaps entities under such Acts
Costs $0.00 per family


Updated Items

H.R. 1016
The Assessing Progress in Haiti Act
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 2668
The Brian A. Terry Memorial Act
Costs $0.00 per family


Passed Items

none

(0 comments | Categories: The Week Ahead » )

And They’re Off! FY 2013 Spending

Spending season kicks into full gear this week. The House will debate H.R. 5326, which spends money on the operation of the Departments of Commerce and Justice, and on science-related programs. That spending, for fiscal year 2013, adds up to a little over $600 per U.S. family.

A second bill is in the House’s pipeline. H.R. 5325 spends on energy and water development and related agencies. Its spending adds up to $390 per family.

Not to be outdone, the Senate is moving bills, too. We’ve seen four bills introduced.

  • S. 2322, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013;
  • S. 2323, the Departments of Commerce and Justice, and Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013;
  • S. 2375, The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013; and
  • S. 2465, The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013.

The appropriate committee reports haven’t been filed yet, so we can’t tell you much these bills spend. Twice as many bills—half the information. Let’s say the House and Senate are neck and neck.

Congress is supposed to be done with all twelve annual spending bills by June 30th. That would give the agencies time to plan for the fiscal year’s beginning, which is on October 1st. They haven’t done this right in a couple of decades, but they’re off to a good start so far.

(1 comment | Categories: Appropriations/Budget » )

Because Every Dumb Idea Should Be Illegal

Congress is considering H.R. 5050, the Social Networking Online Protection Act, which would prohibit employers from requiring or requesting that employees provide a user name, password, or other means for accessing a personal account on a social networking website.

(0 comments | Categories: Labor and Employment » )

Transparency News

Becky Sweger of the National Priorities Project has a guest post on the Sunlight Foundation blog going into some of the latest transparency news. And the news is not all that good…

She was kind enough to link to our effort to get YOU to help improve transparency. Thanks, Becky!

Now click the link above so you can weigh in with your representatives about improving government transparency.

(0 comments | Categories: Miscellaneous » )

Petition on Fort McClellan Toxic Exposure

A petition entitled, “Equal Medical Rights for the Fort McClellan Toxic Exposure Veterans,” got its start here yesterday, and it already has over 75 signers.

Its purpose is to seek passage of a medical and disability bill for service veterans of Fort McClellan, Alabama. That’s H.R. 2052, The Fort McClellan Health Registry Act.

That bill has plenty of votes and comments, including a fair amount of “trolling” from one or more people who don’t want to see the bill succeed. We’re big on free speech around here, but you don’t have to listen, so we’ve created comment controls for logged-in users.

Here’s a benefit of petitioning: On petition pages, only petition signers can comment, and the petition creator can exclude commenters who try to be disruptive.

You can learn more about petitions. The Fort McClellan toxic exposure veterans’ petition has plenty of information about their side of the issue.

(3 comments | Categories: Petitions » )

The Congressional Caper Caper

…might just improve your salads and other dishes calling for just the right piquancy!

H.R. 5272 would extend the temporary suspension of duty on capers, prepared or preserved by vinegar or acetic acid, in containers holding 3.4 kg or less

H.R. 5275 would extend the temporary suspension of duty on capers, prepared or preserved by vinegar or acetic acid, in immediate containers holding more than 3.4 kg.

Perhaps you prefer pepperoncini peppers.

(0 comments | Categories: Taxation » )

We’re Not Clowning Around

There is a Strategic Helium Reserve.

(0 comments | Categories: Miscellaneous » )